Homophobic Murder in Belarus

Mikhail Pischevsky died on October 27, 2015 in Minsk hospital due to the complications of severe head injuries he suffered in a homophobic attack seventeen months prior. Mikhail was brutally beaten near the entrance to a nightclub in Minsk where he was attending a gay party. Mikhail underwent brain surgery, was in a coma for a month and remained in the hospital paralyzed and in a minimally conscious state until his death.

We express our deepest condolences to Mikhail’s family, his friends and LGBTQ community of Belarus.

The name of Mikhail’s killer is Dmitry Lukashevich. He was charged with hooliganism and negligence despite severe bodily injuries that he had caused, despite numerous testimonies of witnesses about the attack, despite the fact that the attacker used homophobic insults during the assault and during the trial. Lukashevich was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison. On August 20, 2015, Lukashevich was granted a pardon and was released after serving only 11 months of prison term!

We demand justice for Mikhail Pischevsky.

Why wasn’t Mikhail’s killer charged with an attempted murder in the first place? Now that Mikhail is dead, why is Lukashevich not charged with murder?

We plead with international community, with politicians and public figures to ask this question every time they meet any representatives of Belarusian government. Why wasn’t Mikhail’s killer charged with murder? We demand an answer.

Join us for a protest and a vigil near the Consulate General of Belarus in New York on Thursday, October 29th at 10am.
You can bring flowers, signs and photographs.